Staff from Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center visited Camp ASCCA on two occasions this summer. There isn’t a lot of land that is suitable to release raptors available, and the Raptor Center staff contacted us looking for a place to release some of their birds. Camp ASCCA has many undisturbed acres around camp and there are hundreds more surrounding our land.
The first visit was in July during Session #4 of our summer camp sessions and the campers were greeted with two non-releasable hawks that had been injured and rehabilitated at the Center. After learning about those hawks, the staff released two juvenile red tailed hawks into the woods. The campers really enjoyed this unique experience!
The second visit was during Macon ARC’s visit in late August. The Raptor Center staff returned with the 2 non-releasable hawks to show, and then released three 6 month-old screech owls!
During both visits, the staff gave a presentation about the birds and talked about the significance of raptors to the environment. They also allowed for up-close-and-personal visits and photographs with the birds.
The Southeastern Raptor Center, part of the College of Veterinary Medicine, has a mission of rehabilitating injured or orphaned raptors and educating the public. All birds used in the educational programs are non-releasable due to prior injuries or human imprinting. Any bird capable of surviving in the wild must be released, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which permits Auburn to house the birds.
Since its modest beginning in the mid-1970s, the Southeastern Raptor Center has treated and released back into the wild thousands of birds of prey. The educational unit has provided educational programs for thousands of schools, civic groups and churches in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky. Raptors that live in or pass through the southeastern United States include: Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, Vultures, Osprey, Owls, Harriers and Kites.
Please visit http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/home/programs-and-centers/southeastern-raptor-center/about-the-center
Located in Alabama on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of traditional recreational and educational activities with a unique design for accessibility.
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